In elementary school, strong attendance and engagement are key to setting a foundation for lifelong learning and success. When students attend regularly, they build essential skills like collaboration, critical thinking, and communication.

Engaged students are more likely to develop a love for learning, feel connected to their peers and teachers, and achieve better academic outcomes. This early involvement helps boost their confidence, encourages curiosity, and creates a supportive community where they feel valued and motivated to succeed—both in school and beyond.

Encouraging students to attend school regularly when they are healthy helps establish strong routines and learning habits, making occasional absences due to illness less disruptive, without stress or pressure. When students are consistently in the classroom, they stay on top of their lessons, build stronger relationships with teachers and peers, and maintain a sense of continuity in their education. That way, if they do need to stay home to recover from being sick, they’re less likely to fall behind because they've already built that solid foundation.

We would like to highlight that our school has at least one weekday off per month, which is ideal for scheduling appointments. Additionally, our school hours allow for flexibility with activities before and after school. We kindly ask that you consider using these timeframes for appointments or activities whenever possible, as it minimizes disruption to our students' learning.

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation. We look forward to working together for the benefit of our students.

Michael Peterson
Assistant Principal K-4
Ben Franklin Academy

This weekend our very own Ms. Mares will be getting married. Please join us in sending her our best wishes.

Ms. Mares has worn many hats at BFA. Starting as a 6th Grade Social Studies teacher then 6th Grade ELA, she transitioned last year to 4th Grade teacher. She loves teaching at BFA and being a Coach for Middle School Sports.

This is Ms. Mares' eighth year of her teaching career all at Ben Franklin Academy. She graduated from Western State Colorado University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education and a Culturally and Linguistically Diverse education endorsement. Additionally, Ms. Mares has acquired a Master’s Degree in Special Education from Grand Canyon University.

As a Colorado native, Highlands Ranch has always been home to Ms. Mares as she is a product of the Douglas County School District. She loves being able to teach in the community where she was raised and loves being part of the BFA family.

Family, friends, and sports keep Ms. Mares extremely busy! In her spare time, she can be found coaching a competitive softball team, attending the Colorado sports teams’ games, or playing in recreational leagues. She enjoys bowling, golfing, hanging with her dog, and being outside in the sun.

Check out her favorite's list here.

Mrs. Meister play a vital role in the educational environment by supporting teachers and enhancing student learning. She assist with classroom management, help prepare instructional materials, and provide individualized attention to students who may need extra assistance. This includes working with small groups or offering one-on-one support in subjects like reading or math. By collaborating closely with teachers, she ensure that all students have access to the resources they need to succeed, making them essential to the overall functioning of the school.

Mrs. Meister has worked as a first and second grade teacher. After taking a pause from teaching to raise her family, she is very excited to return to the classroom as a second grade instructional aide.

She is married to a wonderful husband, Chip and her three children, Landon, Emily and Owen attend BFA. She enjoys all things outdoors, especially hiking and spends her spare time driving her kids around to various sporting activities.

Check out her favorite's list here.

Field Trip on October 24

Our Kindergarteners will go on their first field trip of the year.

See teachers' emails for details and visit MySchoolBucks to register.

The trip will open in MySchoolBucks on 9/24/24 and will close 10/24/24. There will be no cost for each student, but parents must register as this is the parent permission for the field trip.

Please remember students must wear their Formal Uniforms for Field Trips.

The journey of creating artwork—from concept to completion—can be incredibly rewarding. Starting with a concept helps students develop their ideas and think critically about what they want to express. Sketching the outline is essential for planning and composition, allowing them to experiment with shapes and forms. Finally, adding details brings the piece to life, enhancing depth and emotion. This process not only hones artistic skills but also fosters patience and problem-solving, making it a valuable learning experience overall!

1st Grade learned about the Constitution on National Constitution Day, September 17. Mrs. Simpson read a book to each class on why the Constitution is so important and why we learn about it.

Field Trip October 22 and 23

Our 2nd Graders will go on their first field trip of the year.

See teachers' emails for details and visit MySchoolBucks to register.

The trip will open in MySchoolBucks on 9/22/24 and will close 10/22/24. There will be no cost for each student. We did use funds toward this trip.. There will be no cost for each student, but parents must register as this is the parent permission for the field trip.

Please remember students must wear their Formal Uniforms for Field Trips.

2nd Grade learned about the Constitution on National Constitution Day, September 17. Mrs. Simpson read a book to each class on why the Constitution is so important and why we learn about it.

The 3rd Grade Field Trip to the Zoo was full of animals, warm weather and a lot of walking. The teachers and chaperones guided them by learning all about animal facts and environment such as the world of Asia and the elephants and the new Australia exhibit, featuring wallabies and kangaroos.

Our 4th Grade has been working on the topic of sound energy, exploring how it functions and its various applications. To make the learning process more engaging, the teachers organized a scavenger hunt, where students searched for information about sound energy hidden around the room. Each clue led to different facts about sound waves, vibrations, and how sound travels through different mediums. This hands-on approach not only made the learning process interactive but also helped reinforce key concepts about the nature and importance of sound energy in everyday life.

Ms Barta introduced a 4th-grade math assignment where the students took on the role of homebuyers, researching houses on Zillow to see what properties they could afford. Each student was given a specific budget and had to choose a home, factoring in its price. They then applied their math skills to perform the necessary addition and subtraction to see if they could stay within their budget or if they'd need to adjust their choices. This hands-on approach not only reinforced their ability to work with numbers but also introduced them to real-world financial decision-making, making the learning experience both fun and practical.

Our First Grade classes are learning about mixing colors and what happens to paint. They are painting Fall Leaves using many colors and blending them on the paper, mixing paints and seeing the magic of art happen before their eyes.

The Discovery Program Application Process for the 2025 - 2026 School Year is OPEN for parents/guardians. The DCSD Elementary Discovery Program is a center based gifted program designed to meet the needs of highly advanced gifted elementary school students (grades 2 - 6) who require intensity of instruction and acceleration beyond what can reasonably be expected from gifted programming and services provided through their school. For more information, please visit the District's Discovery Program Website.

Fall break is just around the corner. If you would like for your child(ren) to attend the week long break, Oct 14-18, please register them through your MSB account.

Registration Is NOW OPEN.

There will be 45 spots available. Once those spots have been filled you will no longer see it in the drop down menu. The cost for the camp is $250 per child for the week. There will be lots of fun activities planned and we hope to go to a pumpkin patch as well.

If you have not paid the one time yearly family BASE registration fee of $25, you will need to pay this as well.

Please email Leigh Savoy with any questions.

Book Fair will be held the week of Oct. 7th thru Oct. 10th the same week as Parent-Teacher conferences. See our Book Fair newsletter for more information.

Library is one of the best places to volunteer your time. Please read all instructions before signing up and limit to signing up for a couple of spots at first so everyone has a chance. If there are still open spots in a couple of weeks, please go back and fill up those spots.

Check your student(s)' teacher's pages to find out what day their class comes.

Sign up on Sign Up Genius and check back often. Thanks for all your help.

Now that school is underway, it is time to update and add new families to the BFA directory! Again, this year, BFA will be using DirectorySpot for our online school directory. It's an incredibly handy resource, that contains each family's class roster(s) and contact information, as well as the entire BFA directory.

DirectorySpot is an app-based online directory. The free app is available for download through the App Store and Google Play, simply search for: "DirectorySpot". Once this year’s directory is ready, you will receive an email from DirectorySpot with your one-time password. If you would like to update your family's information for the directory or opt out, you need to act today!

You have until Saturday, September 28, to do the following:

1. If your child goes by a nickname or shortened name, contact our PTO Vice President.

2. If you have recently moved or changed an email address or cell number, you can update your information in Infinite Campus AND email the school registrar.

3. If you DO NOT want any or all of your personal information listed in the directory, contact ptovp@bfacademy.org. You may OPT OUT completely, or partially. If you take no action, your information will be included in the BFA Directory.

If you have questions, please contact Andreya Flanigan, PTO Vice-President.

We can't make this event happen without our volunteers! Volunteers spend a little time helping with setup and tear down, inflatables, food, and check-in, and can spend the rest of the afternoon enjoying the event with their family! We hope you’ll consider volunteering to help staff the event, or donating a cake for the cake walk! These are great, and FUN, hours that count towards those family totals!

Please contact Ewelina Chrzanowski, PTO social coordinator if you have any questions.

Our Art room is always in need of volunteers. If you are interested, just come on by the school and check in with the Front Office. No need to sign up or even let us know as Mrs. Hinkle can use your help everyday!

Our Elementary Website can be found here.

It has wonderful information for parents and students. Each grade level has their own webpages also. You can find lots of information on homework, what your student is doing in class, what the upcoming week looks like and so much more.

Kindergarten

1st Grade

2nd Grade

3rd Grade

4th Grade

Tuesday, October 8th

4:30 - 6:00 p.m.

Mountain Vista High School

PROMO CODE REQUIRED: SEPTFALL24
Offer starts at 12 AM CT on 09/23/24 and ends 09/29/24 at 11:59 PM CT.
The Promotion Code is required during checkout.
Enter it in the Promo Code box of the shopping cart to apply the discount.
This offer is not valid on any previous orders, not valid with other offers, and has no cash value. Excludes custom sized items.

September's Virtues are...

Silence – There is a time and place to speak up and a time to listen. You learn more by listening than speaking.

Justice – Be respectful. Give everyone a chance to work or play. Give others a chance to express themselves. Share. Remember that others are counting on you, so live up to your duty.

Mission:

Our mission is to create young adults with character like America's founding Renaissance man, Benjamin Franklin: well-read, scientifically curious, and civically engaged.

Vision:

Our students will excel academically through a challenging, sequenced curriculum that emphasizes math, science, the arts, and literacy. We will be a data-driven institution, focusing on individual students. Our students, teachers, parents, staff, and leaders will be held accountable for the success of our school. Finally, we recognize that an education is incomplete without fostering social emotional development, character, sports, and nature.

13 Virtues:

Temperance, Silence, Order, Resolution, Frugality, Industry, Sincerity, Justice, Moderation, Cleanliness, Tranquility, Purity and Humility.